The Ethical Journalism Initiative

EJI Study 2012

EJI Study 2012

Getting the Facts Rights:Reporting Ethnicity and Religion

Ethical journalism is thinking journalism. It provides fair, accurate, informed and reflective coverage of events and issues that are important to people and society.

But to be ethical journalists need time to think and no more so than in the age of networked information when media are reporting at a breakneck pace. Journalism of diversity, particularly coverage of religion and ethnicity, requires support for common values and understanding to counter the spread of ignorance, intolerance, and hatred which lead to discrimination and social tension.This study, produced by the Media Diversity Institute in partnership with ARTICLE 19 and the European Federation of Journalists and its Ethical Journalism Initiative campaign, highlights the importance of good practice within journalism and serves as encouragement and guidance for those who are ready to stand up for the principles of journalism as a public good.

This study, produced by the Media Diversity Institute in partnership with ARTICLE 19 and the European Federation of Journalists and its Ethical Journalism Initiative campaign, highlights the importance of good practice within journalism and serves as encouragement and guidance for those who are ready to stand up for the principles of journalism as a public good. It exposes practices that fail to uphold ethics and values in media while illustrating how good journalism - accurate, independent and produced with lashings of style - can play a critical role in breaking down walls of ignorance, bigotry and injustice.

The study confirms in particular the challenges facing media reporting on ethnicity and religion where journalists often struggle to balance cultural and religious values and the right to freedom of expression. To reveal the truth behind complex issues, journalism needs to inspire a culture of inquiry that is also sensitive and informed on cultural differences between communities. It is no easy task and can take years of professional experience and training.

But this study will help. It gives people in journalism a fresh opportunity to reconnect to their mission and will be equally useful to media students, researchers, policymakers, and others in civil society dedicated to the elimination of all forms of prejudice and discrimination.

The Study was launched during the Journalism and the Challenge of Intolerance conference on 3 - 4 May, World Press Freedom Day 2012. A joint statement was made among 60 journalists, editors, unions representatives and civil society who attended the conference to improve media coverage on ethnicity and religion.

Attached documents

Logos of Participating Organisations.jpg

The International Federation of Journalists is the global voice of journalists. It was formed in 1926 and today is the world’s largest organisation of journalists, working across all sectors and representing more than 600,000 news staff in unions and associations of journalists from 120 countries.

The Ethical Journalism Initiative is a global campaign of programmes and activities to support and strengthen quality in media. It was adopted by the World Congress of the IFJ in Moscow in 2007 and was formally launched in 2008.

The EJI Europe campaign is co-funded by the European Union's Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme.